Swami Pragyamurti (Director of the London Satyananda Yoga Centre) kindly agreed to answer some questions about Panch Tattwa, the Five Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space).

Swami Pragyamurti, could you briefly explain where the elements (tattwas) fit in to the tradition of Yoga or Tantra?

When you break down the meaning of the word Tantra, it means liberation of energy and expansion of consciousness, so an understanding of the system of Tattwas is part of the whole process of self development. Understanding the role of tattwas in our being helps us evolve, helps us understand how and why we are as we are, and indeed, how and why the world around us is as it is.

The elements feel a lot more “real” or tangible to me than the chakras. Does this matter?

No, this does not matter - we are all different and therefore certain aspects of yogic philosophy and practice will always touch some of us more than others. If you feel drawn to the system of tattwas, then continue your study and practice along these lines.

Can I do asanas or other yoga practices specifically to ground me (earth element) for example, or to give me more energy (fire element)?

Yes indeed. If you have Swami Satyananda's books Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha or Kundalini Tantra you will find many helpful suggestions for adding this focus to your asana programme.

The Space or Aetheric element (akasha tattwa) seems rather obscure; it doesn’t really fit in to the Western idea of Four Elements (earth, water, fire, air). Could you explain it a bit in simple practical terms?

The western system only has four elements, and in many of the religious / creation stories we see humans evolving out of the most gross and aspiring towards the more subtle. According to Tantra and other eastern systems, we evolve out of the most subtle, and gradually take forms. Akasha is indeed beyond our comprehension; it is all-pervading, limitless and our senses have not been tuned to such a high frequency. However it may be of some consolation to know that we evolve out of this subtle element, and through lifetimes (perhaps) of yoga and meditation will return to it!

And finally, where could I find out more about this fascinating subject?

Swami Satyananda has written a book on Tattwa Shuddhi (purification of the elements) which is informative and fascinating, and teachings are also given in some of the classical tantric texts, some of which have been translated into western languages. Please remember that the practices which are given traditionally are not suitable for inexperienced seekers; we are advised to undertake a long training of body and mind first, and after this training we need an attitude of open- mindedness, devotion and acceptance. We can say that this knowledge forms part of the more advanced areas of yogic development.

Swami Pragyamurti, thank you!

In September this year, Swami Pragyamurti gave a three day programme on the Five Elements (Panch Tattwa). The main sessions have been transferred to a set of four audio CDs, beautifully presented in a box, including an eight page booklet in full colour with notes and a set of the five Tattwa Yantras.

The practices offered here work with the five elements and their associated chakras, physical senses, mantras and yantras (symbols) in a structured and accessible way, from the gross tangible Prithvi (Earth) up to the subtle insensible Akasha (Space). There are specific practices for each tattwa, culminating in a yoga nidra which incorporates all five elements.

In the final practice of tratak you can use the tattwa yantras printed in the booklet, either for your zodiac sign or for a tattwa that you are working with in your daily sadhana.

The complete boxed set costs just £18 plus 15% p&p (UK mainland only).

This sixteen minute MP3 PodCast is a complete track (CD2, track 3) from the new CD set Panch Tattwa Dharana.

It is a meditation on the Fire Element (Agni Tattwa) that you can do lying down in shavasana (relaxation position, on your back).

You can listen to it online or download it to your iPod or MP3 player.

Click here to listen

Introduction to the Chakras – Part 1
with Swami Anasakti
Saturday 2 December 2006

A day for students with at least two years of yoga practice and regular class attendance, learning about the subtle energy centres of the body.

Introduction to the Chakras – Part 2
with Swami Anasakti
Saturday 3 February 2007

A follow-on day from Part 1 (on 2 December 2006). This day is for students with at least two years of yoga practice and regular class attendance, learning about the subtle energy centres of the body.

The Elements

A comprehensive article about the Tattwas and their attributes in the yoga tradition:

The philosophy of yoga explains how the whole universe is the composition of the five elements, or tattwas of prithvi (earth), apas (water), agm (fire). vayu (air) and akasha (ether). The human body, being composed of the same stuff as the universe, therefore reflects the properties of these elements through every cell...
by Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati

The Elements in a historic context

Discover more about the elements in other traditions from ancient times:
Many ancient philosophies used a set of archetypal classical elements to explain patterns in nature. The Greek version of these ideas dates from pre-Socratic times and persists throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, deeply influencing European thought and culture - but the concept is far older in the Far East, and was widely disseminated in India and China, where it forms the basis of both Buddhism and Hinduism, particularly in an esoteric context...
from Wikipedia online encyclopaedia

Panchagni – the Bath of Fire

A fascinating article about Panchagni (five fires) and its relation to the Tattwas:

Agni is the third tattwa that constitutes the body. It links prithvi (earth) and apas (water) with vayu (air) and akasha (aether). Without the fire of agni the grossness of the first two tattwas cannot be refined into the subtle vayu and even subtler akasha...
by Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati

The next eNewsletter is due out in February 2007.

If you have any comments on this eNewsletter or ideas for future articles then we'd love to hear from you.

OM TAT SAT